NEW YORK -- Herb Brooks, the former Pittsburgh Penguins and two-time U.S. Olympic coach, is reportedly the leading candidate to coach the New York Rangers next season, according to a number of published reports.

Former New Jersey Devils (and Los Angeles Kings) coach Larry Robinson told the Rangers on Thursday that he's not interested in the job.

Brooks spoke with Rangers president and general manager Glen Sather on Monday. Further talks may follow next week.

The New York Times reported Friday that former Rangers coach Mike Keenan remains a possibility. Keenan is the head coach in Florida, but the Panthers fired general manager Chuck Fletcher on Thursday. Rick Dudley, who had been a general manager with Ottawa and Tampa Bay, replaced him.

Robinson told the Rangers he would honor the first year of his three-year consulting deal with the Devils.

"I told Glen after the year I've had, in order to be fair to everybody, that to take a job like that, my mind and my heart have to be into it if I was to go back into coaching," said Robinson. "And right now, I don't know if my heart would be into it."